NFL TV Ratings Discussion

[rossihunter2]

im not gonna stop watching, but they were HEAVY on the "social justice" topic in the broadcast, WAY heavier than EVER before, almost as if it was related to the game.

look at the subject how you like, but ive explained this before, im tired of it, i have empathy towards all who are affected by this topic, truly i do, but for my mental well being just give me some fucking football and stfu. a show of unity like they did before kickoff was great, even if its a hollow gesture i encourage that behavior, its positive, but the negativity of the entire subject and having it shoved in my face is just so far from my preference. its gonna be the theme for this entire season, and if the election posts certain results it will likely be a theme for the following 4 seasons as well, and im gonna watch regardless, and i wont even complain about it because i support the idea behind it, but i definitely dont prefer it, and to everyone who will literally stop watching sports because they arent ok with unity and liberty and justice for all, good riddance and take it a step further and just rid yourself from the world altogether.

side note, the politics thread shouldve been shut the fuck down long ago and we shouldve kept politics miles away from this entire forum, we have lost MANY regular posters due to that thread and that thread alone, and these boards consist of a regular like ten people and when the protests/riots were going down, people were leaving in droves because of how intolerant and toxic that one thread became. its a goddamn shame.

unfortunately in the context of that thread (and your wider point i suppose) - sticking to sports isnt really an option anymore - politics and social justice and sports intertwined in a way that's not going to be untangled and ultimately the idea that sports would be isolated from politics was based in power dynamics that weren't conducive to social justice to begin with

you cant isolate those things - and honestly i dont think they go away whatever happens in november

and personally (i know you may disagree) but i hope they dont ever go away whatever the result is

 

[JO_75]

it's far more likely that the lower ratings are due to clashes with the lakers playoff game and other big tv events that happened the same night
if it continues through the next few weeks then maybe that's why - i think it's much more likely that it clashed with other sporting events that were a big deal and then wasnt an exciting game at all

Yeah plus the Texans really aren't a nationwide must watch team, and on top of that KC & Houston aren't big markets either. I know the NFL can't have every team play in the major markets but a lack of must see players with a mass appeal is also a big problem. So many Hall of Famers & Legends were players that every fan wanted to watch play, but now a days who is going to tune in for the Texans or any player?

 

[JO_75]

Cowboys-Rams Sunday Night opener in LA saw a MAJOR DECLINE in ratings compared to last season's SNF opener of the Steelers vs Patriots. Initial numbers show the NFC clash saw only 14.81 million viewers, compared to the 22.7 Million viewers who watched Steelers/Patriots in 2019. Even once you factor in west coast ratings in the final numbers, it won't be enough to make this a win at all for the league.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-rating...arp-decline-in-initial-ratings-161747893.html

 

[rmcjacket23]

unfortunately in the context of that thread (and your wider point i suppose) - sticking to sports isnt really an option anymore - politics and social justice and sports intertwined in a way that's not going to be untangled and ultimately the idea that sports would be isolated from politics was based in power dynamics that weren't conducive to social justice to begin with

you cant isolate those things - and honestly i dont think they go away whatever happens in november

and personally (i know you may disagree) but i hope they dont ever go away whatever the result is

Its a no-win situation...
If you're the business, and you try to "restrict" your employees, who are mostly minorities, from speaking out on the issues, you'll piss them off and risk financial consequences through corporate sponsors, etc.
And if you're the business, and you back the players and allow them to protest the ways they are now, you risk financial consequences through loss of viewership.

Like there's pretty much no outcome possible where the NFL, or any Sports organization, stands behind its players "rights" (used loosely here in my opinion) to publicly protest, and come out of it with more revenue. Its a business decision that has financial consequences.

That being said... I think the people "protesting" the NFL because of its position is a short-term cause. Players won't protest like this forever. They didn't last time, and they won't this time.

 

[rmcjacket23]

im not gonna stop watching, but they were HEAVY on the "social justice" topic in the broadcast, WAY heavier than EVER before, almost as if it was related to the game.

look at the subject how you like, but ive explained this before, im tired of it, i have empathy towards all who are affected by this topic, truly i do, but for my mental well being just give me some fucking football and stfu. a show of unity like they did before kickoff was great, even if its a hollow gesture i encourage that behavior, its positive, but the negativity of the entire subject and having it shoved in my face is just so far from my preference. its gonna be the theme for this entire season, and if the election posts certain results it will likely be a theme for the following 4 seasons as well, and im gonna watch regardless, and i wont even complain about it because i support the idea behind it, but i definitely dont prefer it, and to everyone who will literally stop watching sports because they arent ok with unity and liberty and justice for all, good riddance and take it a step further and just rid yourself from the world altogether.

side note, the politics thread shouldve been shut the fuck down long ago and we shouldve kept politics miles away from this entire forum, we have lost MANY regular posters due to that thread and that thread alone, and these boards consist of a regular like ten people and when the protests/riots were going down, people were leaving in droves because of how intolerant and toxic that one thread became. its a goddamn shame.

Having just started partaking in that thread, I gotta say... I personally am not losing sleep over people leaving because of a political thread. If they're so delicate that they voluntarily partake and then get completely turned off, then the forum is probably better off without them.

I've been posting on here for like a good year or two, and I just realized there was a political thread in the last couple weeks. If I was so outraged by people posting on there, I just wouldn't view the thread anymore.

What, you're going to leave a Ravens forum entirely because there's one, unrelated, completely voluntary thread where somebody has a different viewpoint than you? I'm sorry (not really), but that says a lot about you as a person in my eyes.

 

[JoeyFlex5]

Having just started partaking in that thread, I gotta say... I personally am not losing sleep over people leaving because of a political thread. If they're so delicate that they voluntarily partake and then get completely turned off, then the forum is probably better off without them.

I've been posting on here for like a good year or two, and I just realized there was a political thread in the last couple weeks. If I was so outraged by people posting on there, I just wouldn't view the thread anymore.

What, you're going to leave a Ravens forum entirely because there's one, unrelated, completely voluntary thread where somebody has a different viewpoint than you? I'm sorry (not really), but that says a lot about you as a person in my eyes.

While I totally agree with that point of view, prior to the political thread getting blown up, there was no beef with any of those posters and they were longtime frequent posters with a great track record of being respectable members of these boards dating back to the BR.com days, and yeah it’s weak as fuck for them to leave for that reason, but they never gave any indication that they were problematic in any way, the political thread was a cancer imo, just like any political thread on the internet, a bunch of shit flinging and finger pointing.

 

[rossihunter2]

certainly seems like ratings didnt go down on the main slate of games in fact they were up... only primetime was down which suggests to me that it's about competing sports

 

[airconteka]

Over 50s were down, some of the boomers actually followed through with their promise.

 

[JO_75]

MNF Doubleheader lost ratings in both games compared to last year. The return of Big Ben against the Giants, a major market team only had 10.8 million viewers which is down 17% from last year's Saints-Texans game. Titans-Broncos fell a whopping 27% with only 7.7 million viewers.

https://www.thewrap.com/monday-nigh...lunge-from-2019-in-opening-week-doubleheader/

Considering Saints-Bucs did well, I think it's the fact the matchups the league puts on primetime are just terrible. Sure some people won't watch because they don't like the politics involved but let's be honest. You put Brady vs Brees on SNF or MNF, they would have done better numbers than the games slotted in week one. There is no national appeal to tune in for a Titans-Broncos MNF game, Giants haven't been good since their 2011 Super Bowl. Outside of Dallas and LA, who really cares for Cowboys vs Rams?

Outside of Cincy & Cleveland who are both 0-1, what's the national appeal to watch that on Thursday?

 

[Ellicottraven]

certainly seems like ratings didnt go down on the main slate of games in fact they were up... only primetime was down which suggests to me that it's about competing sports

Also, this is the only time they have all sports being played around the same time. That affects ratings but clearly the early reports were erroneous as Nielsen amended them later.

 

[Inqui]

certainly seems like ratings didnt go down on the main slate of games in fact they were up... only primetime was down which suggests to me that it's about competing sports

MNF Doubleheader lost ratings in both games compared to last year. The return of Big Ben against the Giants, a major market team only had 10.8 million viewers which is down 17% from last year's Saints-Texans game. Titans-Broncos fell a whopping 27% with only 7.7 million viewers.

https://www.thewrap.com/monday-nigh...lunge-from-2019-in-opening-week-doubleheader/

Considering Saints-Bucs did well, I think it's the fact the matchups the league puts on primetime are just terrible. Sure some people won't watch because they don't like the politics involved but let's be honest. You put Brady vs Brees on SNF or MNF, they would have done better numbers than the games slotted in week one. There is no national appeal to tune in for a Titans-Broncos MNF game, Giants haven't been good since their 2011 Super Bowl. Outside of Dallas and LA, who really cares for Cowboys vs Rams?

Outside of Cincy & Cleveland who are both 0-1, what's the national appeal to watch that on Thursday?

This was another factor I remember noticing when the ratings first became an issue a few years ago. A Patriots-Seahawks game would be just fine in terms of ratings, but then the next week a 4-10 Giants side would host a Browns side that had underperformed yet again and the ratings would tank.

For all the prognostications, I'm a little surprised by how little is being made of the matchups themselves. Who actually cares about the Rams these days? I get that the NFL's excited about the new stadium, but even that's a pretty questionable marketing gimmick these days.

 

[rmcjacket23]

This was another factor I remember noticing when the ratings first became an issue a few years ago. A Patriots-Seahawks game would be just fine in terms of ratings, but then the next week a 4-10 Giants side would host a Browns side that had underperformed yet again and the ratings would tank.

For all the prognostications, I'm a little surprised by how little is being made of the matchups themselves. Who actually cares about the Rams these days? I get that the NFL's excited about the new stadium, but even that's a pretty questionable marketing gimmick these days.

So I bought that argument for the Thursday game (sort of) because Houston isn't a very popular market, and I buy it for the Monday night games, because those were extremely unsexy matchups.

I have a tough time buying it for the Rams/Cowboys though, and that was down significantly. Cowboys are going to draw no matter who they play, and the Rams are in a huge market. Maybe they don't get the national press as much as others, but I think they're a big draw compared to most teams.

That being said, if you're comparing YoY, that was competing against Patriots/Steelers last years Week 1, which would be a big ratings game.

So its hard to tell, basically.

Its a one week sample. I'm not sure a lot of conclusions should be drawn from it.

 

[rmcjacket23]

Over 50s were down, some of the boomers actually followed through with their promise.

For now.

Its also not a demo the NFL really cares about.

 

[rossihunter2]

Also, this is the only time they have all sports being played around the same time. That affects ratings but clearly the early reports were erroneous as Nielsen amended them later.

that's true - but i think its pretty clear that having the NBA playoffs in competing slots is probably going to do something to your viewership

 

[rossihunter2]

So I bought that argument for the Thursday game (sort of) because Houston isn't a very popular market, and I buy it for the Monday night games, because those were extremely unsexy matchups.

I have a tough time buying it for the Rams/Cowboys though, and that was down significantly. Cowboys are going to draw no matter who they play, and the Rams are in a huge market. Maybe they don't get the national press as much as others, but I think they're a big draw compared to most teams.

That being said, if you're comparing YoY, that was competing against Patriots/Steelers last years Week 1, which would be a big ratings game.

So its hard to tell, basically.

Its a one week sample. I'm not sure a lot of conclusions should be drawn from it.

werent the cowboys and rams competing with a Lakers playoff game in primetime though? im assuming that's partly going to be a big factor in any fall-off

 

[rmcjacket23]

werent the cowboys and rams competing with a Lakers playoff game in primetime though? im assuming that's partly going to be a big factor in any fall-off

Nope. Only NBA game was Sunday at 1pm, and it was Clippers/Rockets. So that would have impacted the early slate of games, which did just fine.

Even the NHL only had one playoff game Sunday, and that was at 3pm.

I'm sure they were competing with maybe one MLB game, but that's also not going to draw much interest away AND comparables in the prior year would have been doing the same.

 

[rossihunter2]

Nope. Only NBA game was Sunday at 1pm, and it was Clippers/Rockets. So that would have impacted the early slate of games, which did just fine.

Even the NHL only had one playoff game Sunday, and that was at 3pm.

I'm sure they were competing with maybe one MLB game, but that's also not going to draw much interest away AND comparables in the prior year would have been doing the same.

what an odd outcome then lol - the main sunday slate was up and the primetime games were all down

 

[Adreme]

MNF Doubleheader lost ratings in both games compared to last year. The return of Big Ben against the Giants, a major market team only had 10.8 million viewers which is down 17% from last year's Saints-Texans game. Titans-Broncos fell a whopping 27% with only 7.7 million viewers.

https://www.thewrap.com/monday-nigh...lunge-from-2019-in-opening-week-doubleheader/

Considering Saints-Bucs did well, I think it's the fact the matchups the league puts on primetime are just terrible. Sure some people won't watch because they don't like the politics involved but let's be honest. You put Brady vs Brees on SNF or MNF, they would have done better numbers than the games slotted in week one. There is no national appeal to tune in for a Titans-Broncos MNF game, Giants haven't been good since their 2011 Super Bowl. Outside of Dallas and LA, who really cares for Cowboys vs Rams?

Outside of Cincy & Cleveland who are both 0-1, what's the national appeal to watch that on Thursday?

I mean the Cowboys, despite being irrelevant from a competitive point of view, always seem to draw the highest ratings of the season.

 

[JO_75]

Outside of Cincy & Cleveland who are both 0-1, what's the national appeal to watch that on Thursday?

I guess I was wrong... Bengals-Browns Ratings up 3% over last year's TNF Week 2 slot which featured the Bucs playing the Panthers.

 

[JO_75]

This was another factor I remember noticing when the ratings first became an issue a few years ago. A Patriots-Seahawks game would be just fine in terms of ratings, but then the next week a 4-10 Giants side would host a Browns side that had underperformed yet again and the ratings would tank.

For all the prognostications, I'm a little surprised by how little is being made of the matchups themselves. Who actually cares about the Rams these days? I get that the NFL's excited about the new stadium, but even that's a pretty questionable marketing gimmick these days.

I've seen people write articles, make YouTube videos about how the ratings are falling because of social justice, etc. The amount of people who are "boycotting" is so small that it doesn't make a dent in the numbers to prove it. It's like people who play Madden for Franchise Mode and are sick of no improvements to Franchise and they say they will boycott Madden. The amount of people who boycott Madden over Franchise Mode not being improved is so small, it does nothing to impact the actual sales.

Can't wait for next week's record breaking ratings TNF game. Ryan FitzMagic vs Minshew Magic.... RATINGS!